Shadows of Moonlight
by Time Lady 802379
Summary: A new Werewolf, ravaging an innocent city on the brink of developing a cure for a wolf bite, and that is home to the most ruthless wolf-hunters in the galaxy. Can the Doctor, Rose and Jack find out who the real good guys are, and stop the bloodshed?
1. Moonlight

**I've been meaning to write this for ages, but never seemed to get round to it. Now I have (obviously), so you're stuck with it. Ha!**

**Quite a quick chapter to start off with, I really wanted to post it, see what people thought, and get on with it, so as I said, it's a little quick this time, but rest assured, they will be longer in future.**

**(Note: When I say Werewolves, I mean as in Tooth & Claw, not New Moon. I prefer the Werewolf in Tooth & Claw, it just seems better to me. No offence to Twilight/New Moon lovers out there. *Damn sparkly vampires*)**

**Dedicated to _Noofle_ (Who put up with my logic), _Fi3fi3_ (coz her logic is worse than mine, and that's saying something) and to _Chameleon Circuit_ (just because their music is amazing, I seriously reccomend it).**

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Moonlight.

His Mother and protector. She was always there, in his dreams, his every thought, even inside his body. He was born of moonlight, this time was his time. She shone down on him, ever-present, enhancing his senses, shaping his body and thoughts and soul, turning him towards his purpose. She lent him Her powers, as Her body, as the embodiment of Her light, and the darkness She banished from the world.

The pitiful orange glow came closer, trying in vain to overcome the bright sliver that was his Mother's light. Humans were approaching, coming on the hunt. He pitied them. They could never understand the true meaning of the hunt. Never could they feel the power coursing through his lean body, the rush of the wind and trees flying past him as he ran towards his target.

Targets were always chosen for a reason, those who had no purpose, who barely existed, whom no light of any kind would ever shine on again at all. He would give them a better life, a new life, filled with light and power and purpose.

Yet these humans wanted to stop him, halt him in the pursuit of his purpose. They never would, never could, understand him, and the gift he and his Mother could bestow on them. They chose instead to hunt him, trying to push him away, not realising that they had no hope of ever overcoming him. Not completely. Now they had stolen a part of his Mother, Her very essence, infused with cold, hard, cruel metal. His Mother's gift, turned against him, used by the very ones he was trying to turn. The injustice made his fur bristle, and he growled quietly.

A voice, inside his head. His target was near. Time to hunt.

From his current haunt on the tallest spire, he could see all, his eyes scanning all his surroundings, cutting through the darkness with ease. He turned, facing the edge of the forest to the west of the city. Razor-sharp claws dug into the roof of the spire, as his eyes burnt with wildfire, seeking out he who had been chosen to carry the flame. There he was, fleeing into the forest, into the cover of the dark trees. Trying to run from destiny.

Foolish man, he would soon see sense. Closing his eyes, he reached back into his mind, releasing the hunter within. He felt it flooding him, guiding him, infusing him with the power of the night.

Snapping his eyes open, he leapt, the air rushing past him as he fell, and landed heavily, the ground shaking, his strong legs absorbing the hard impact that would have seriously injured any other creature, and he crouched against the ground. He lifted his head, his golden eyes burning with dark fire as he looked around. His target was still running, the man had already vanished into the trees, but he could still hear him, and if he concentrated, he could sense his position.

He lifted his head high, standing tall on his hind legs, and howled, the sound echoing in every ally way and window. Birds started and flew, and the mob's torches halted, frightened cries rising from their confused mass.

Allowing his instincts to take over, he charged after the chosen target, leaping across rooftops and streets, growling loudly.

Nothing would get in his way.

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**As I said, a quickie this time.**

**So whaddya think? Carry on? Don't carry on? To write, or not to write, the question was something like that, but I like this version better....**

**Yeah anyway..**

**Reviewers get banana's!**


	2. Doctor Proof Box

**I swear, the chapters will eventually get longer, it's just I'm in an update-y mood, so I wanted to finish this as quickly as possible, so I could post it as something similar to a chapter, even if it's really too short to be.**

**I was off ill on Monday and Tuesday, so I had plenty of time to type, and I'm half-way through the next chapter as you're reading.**

**This chapter is dedicated to _Jomel10_, because you were so good with updating _A Christmas to Remember_? Is that OK? Good!**

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The TARDIS landed with a gentle bump, and Rose gained the confidence to get up off the floor where she had fallen a few minutes earlier. The Doctor, of course, had seemed oblivious to the knocking and swaying of his beloved ship, dashing around the console, pushing buttons here, pulling levers here, twiddling this and that, and occasionally giving it a good whack with the mallet, or a swift kick, though the latter usually left him grumbling with a very sore foot.

Jack steadied her as she stood. He seemed to acclimatise quicker to the motion of the ship, but he still couldn't compare to the Doctor. Rose doubted that anyone ever would. As she stood, the Doctor began babbling again, his mouth moving twice as fast as she thought the laws of physics would allow, or was actually possible. As it turned out, the Doctor didn't care what other people thought was impossible, and the phrase "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." sprang to mind.

"Thank you for flying AirTARDIS! We have now arrived at our random destination. Please refrain from removing your seatbelt until the captain has turned off the seatbelt sign." He grinned manically.

"Or until we're certain that the captain has been murdered." Rose whispered in Jack's ear, who laughed.

"That way our passengers cannot be implicated in any crimes that may or may not have been committed." He added quietly. Now they were both laughing.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow, quizzically. "What did you say?" He asked, genuinely.

"Nothing!" Rose answered in a sing-song voice. The Doctor's other eyebrow joined the first.

"Whatever you say. Just keep tellin' yourself that." The Doctor was clearly not convinced. True she and Jack were both looking very guilty, but if you overlooked that, then it wouldn't be obvious that anything had happened at all.

Jack feigned being deeply hurt by the Doctor's words. "Hey Doc, why d'ya always assume we've done something just because we're laughing?"

The Doctor simply stared at Jack's face. "Do you REALLY want me to answer that?"

"Probably best not to really..." Jack gave in. Rose elbowed him in the ribs.

"Traitor!" She hissed, good-naturedly. Jack simply shrugged, then he noticed the Doctor racing to the door that would lead them outside.

"So, you've really no idea where or when we are, right?" Jack loved it when they did this- set the controls to random, and walk out into God-knows what. The Doctor looked back at Jack over his retreating shoulder.

"Nope!" He exclaimed excitedly, popping the "p". He reached for his long coat. "I can understand if you don't believe that there's something I don't know, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there are approximately two things I don't know. 1: Where we are whenever the word "random" is in the name, and 2: How many things I don't know." He looked over at Rose, hoping she wouldn't bother to find the flaw in his logic, and was confused to see she was staring at him accusingly. "What?"

"You've forgotten then."

"Forgotten what?"

"Our little wager."

"Our what?"

Jack however suddenly brightened. "Oh yeah! I'd completely forgotten that! So are we gonna do it this time or what?" The Doctor still looked blank, one long arm half-way through the sleeve of his coat. "This time we're all going without one vital thing that we'd normally never leave? Remember?"

There was a pause. "Do we have to?" The Doctor whined loudly, sounding like a spoilt 3-year-old who'd been denied a teddy from the toy-store.

"Yes. You know and we know what we've all got to leave, so we can see who can survive the longest without it. Assuming we don't all die as a result, it'll be fun!" Rose sounded happy. "I'm gonna leave my phone, Jack's leaving his gun, at YOUR insistence, and you're gonna have to go without your c-"

"Come on, I don't even remember saying anything about this! When did I say I'd take part?" The Doctor was not happy; this was obvious to his companions.

"When we got you drunk and you were dancing around the console to the Teletubbies song, after we spiked your drink. Alright?" Rose barely stifled a laugh as the image of the Doctor completely out-for-the-count spread-eagled on top of his bed, snoring his head off surfaced in her mind's eye. Jack gave a very fake sounding cough and suddenly became very interested in the buttons on his shirt, a huge smile on his face.

The Doctor looked at them, agape. "You what!" He gasped.

"Oh stop looking so gormless and just accept it!" Jack laughed.

"Funny that." Rose interjected. "I mean, I don't even know what a Gorm is, let alone how to lose one, so how'd you manage to do it, eh? Come on, off with it!" She raised her voice just slightly. _God, I sound like him_, she thought to herself.

"But I don't want to! You can't make me!" The Doctor backed off quickly, but he soon came up against the door, and couldn't go any further. Jack and Rose were coming closer. There was nowhere to go!

Before he could do anything, Jack was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. The Doctor supposed that he only remembered what he was supposed to let go of because he was relatively sober at the time, and he knew it wasn't the Sonic Screwdriver. They had all agreed that it was too useful, and really could get the out of a life-threatening situation. However, the alcohol had been taking effect, and he hadn't been able to argue himself out of it.

Now Rose had launched herself at him, and he knew, with both of them on him, he had no hope, and mere minutes later, Jack stood triumphant, holding the offending object high out of the Doctor's reach, who was currently battling Rose to get to his feet and reach to get it.

Jack sauntered over to the safe that he had dubbed Doctor-proof, and placed the long brown coat with Rose's phone and his own gun. He patted the objects fondly, before shutting the door, hearing the quiet click as the deadlock seal activated.

The Doctor was not going to give up without a fight it seemed, and Rose currently had to physically push him out of the door, and into the cold darkness outside.

One foot outside, he was getting further away! Rose was stronger than she looked. He had to get to his beloved coat, couldn't they understand? Janis Joplin had given him that coat! It was precious to him!

"Let me go!" He protested loudly, battling with his companion, trying to force his way back into the TARDIS. Now Jack was coming! He had no time!

Jack placed his hands on each of the Doctor's shoulders, even as Rose put hers on the Time Lord's chest. Together, they pushed hard, and the Doctor tumbled out, narrowly avoiding falling on to his back, and as he righted himself, they turned and closed the double doors, securely locking them with Jack's key, and she heard the Doctor cry out, in what she assumed was anger.

"There ya go! That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Rose turned to face the disgruntled Time Lord. But where he had been standing mere seconds ago trying to win over gravity, there was now a small indent in the soil, containing a large pair of paw-prints. They were easily the size of her head.

The Doctor was gone.

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**Really sorry for the rubbish cliffie. I just couldn't resist. I've just realised that I don't seem to end on cliffies that much, so I wanted to try it out, and this was the best I could come up with. Sorry! Next update maybe tonight, or tomorrow, depends when I finish it. But DEFINATLY THIS WEEK! And for once you can hold me to that. **

**By the way, can we all just *figuratively* glare at _Fi3fi3_ for a few seconds, just because she only read this when I bullied her into it? *Glares* Come on1 Better than that1 She'll just laugh it off!**

**Reviewers get bananas!**


	3. Where The Doctor Wasn't

**I said I'd get it done! Didn't I! And I did!**

**Please, please, hold your applause, I feel your love!**

**Hopefully this makes up for the rubbish cliffie last chapter. Just don't tell me if it doesn't, because that will make me sad.....**

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In fact, the Doctor hadn't gone very far at all. As he had been forcibly evicted from his very own TARDIS, and the offending humans had turned to lock him out, a huge black shape had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, narrowly avoiding landing on top of him. Instead it had landed a few millimetres in front of him, the very earth shaking as it landed.

The Doctor had shouted out, half shock, half trying to warn Rose and Jack. But he had been cut off quickly, as the thing had grabbed him in its strong arms. The blackness that was the thing's fur surrounded him, and he felt one long arm gripping him tightly as it launched itself into the air. Higher and higher. Although he couldn't see anything for the fur in his face, he could feel the air rushing past him at an alarming speed.

Hang on a minute! He wasn't going anywhere! He still had a coat to rescue; he didn't have the time to be abducted by a big black thing! Having decided very quickly on the best course of action, he began struggling, kicking out and thrashing, calling to Rose and Jack. The thing growled loudly as he struggled, almost sounding annoyed at his decision. The Doctor, however, couldn't quite bring himself to care less about the creature's feelings; after all, it was trying to whisk him away to places unknown. It was launching itself from tree to tree, landing on branches and trunks alike.

The Doctor could feel whenever it landed on a branch; it would crouch for a fraction of a second, and then push itself higher into the air, propelling itself forward at the same time. If it came up against a trunk, he would hear the loud clunk as it sank its sharp claws into the wood, and then jump again, the shockwaves travelling through its body, into the Doctor's, which was tiny by comparison.

He increased his struggles, managing to raise a leg to hit it in the face. It howled in pain, and let go of his body, and the Doctor let out a triumphant "Ha!" as he was released. His relief was short-lived.

Unfortunately, the Doctor had forgotten that he was being carried in the treetops, and he began to fall. If he'd thought that he had been moving quickly before, then he had been sorely mistaken, but as he realised that, it was already far, far too late.

Thick branches and pine needles smashed into him and embedding themselves briefly inside him, before being beaten out by others who had decided it was their turn. He twisted and turned in mid-air, trying to escape the pain that came from every angle all at once. The branches receded, and he hit the trunk hard, trying to grab hold of it to halt his descent, and failing miserably. He hit the last branch backwards, the force sending his limbs flailing, and he turned 180 degrees over, facing the ground for the final few meters.

He slammed hard into the ground, dirt forcing its way into his ears and mouth and nose, suffocating him, refusing to relinquish its hold on his face. He couldn't move. Soil was piling itself on top of him, burying him inside it, and branches he had snapped on his way down were falling onto him too, pounding onto his back, punching him deeper.

At least his coat wasn't getting dirty though, on the plus side.

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Rose stared for a few second at where the Doctor wasn't. He had been there a second ago. So where had he gone? She turned to look at Jack, only to find that he too was staring at where the Doctor had been.

"Where'd he go?" She asked the ex-Time Agent, spinning round on the spot to try to see him. "He was just here!" She remembered hearing him cry out briefly, but she had assumed he had still been fooling around after their little tiff.

Jack was looking round the side of the TARDIS, just checking if he had dashed round the back to fool them into letting their guard down enough for him to slip back inside to reclaim his prize. But even if that had been the case, that didn't explain the huge paw prints that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, or the way the ground had shaken briefly as the Doctor had shouted.

"Something doesn't seem right about this...." Jack was clutching desperately at rapidly retreating straws, but all that he was managing to do was state the obvious.

Suddenly, the hastily disappearing shape of a huge black creature dashed across the treetops above them, a flash of black against a dark blue sky. Though the thing that caught their attention, was the pair of shocking white converses poking out from inside its embrace, kicking against their captors.

Rose just looked at Jack. "That's not who I think it is, is it?" But she already knew the answer really.

They started to run, chasing after the creature that had apparently taken the Doctor hostage for no reason, other than the obvious, which was that he would make a quick meal. Jack looked up at the creature as he heard it growl in discomfort. All he could see was a mass of black fur and the tiny body struggling in its punishing grip. The size of the creature was amazing, compared to the size of the Doctor. It would probably take another Doctor and half again to make up for its size. To say nothing of its agility. It easily cleared the huge gaps between trees, grabbing hold of branches and towering trunks with the clawed arm that wasn't holding onto a disgruntled Time Lord. Huge muscles in its back legs propelled it quickly from tree to tree, seeming to take the weight of both bodies like they were nothing.

Jack looked back to where he was running, just in time. He skidded to a halt seconds before he would have charged straight into a whole line of trees that seemed to have been put there specifically to get in his way. Rose grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him through a small gap, just in time to hear a triumphant "Ha!" from above them, and look up to see the creature let go of its prize, and the smile fade from the Doctor's face as he fell.

Branches met him most of the way down, and according to the cries of pain coming from the mess of shuddering pine needles, the Doctor wasn't very pleased with his current situation. A mess of brown pin-stripes and fluffy hair flopped onto the ground, followed swiftly by several large branches that had decided they wanted to join in the fun, falling onto the Doctor's back and receiving several loud Ooof's in return.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, running over to the Time Lord in question, pushing the heavy tree limbs off him and pulling him out of the small hole his face had embedded himself in. His suit was torn in multiple places, and the wounds he had received from both tree and claw alike were rapidly dying his suit a dark red. Jack knelt down, shaking him roughly.

The Doctor groaned slightly, and his eyes fluttered, before forcing themselves open. "Come on Doc! We don't have time for this!" Jack whispered gruffly, helping the Doctor to his feet.

The ground suddenly shook again, and Jack looked round again to see the creature had landed a few feet behind him, actually looking quite majestic, one arm out behind it at an angle, balancing the one that had taken the brunt of the impact, its back two legs bent so it was crouched against the damp soil. Even crouching down it was huge, easily the size of a large male lion. Golden eyes burnt into them through the darkness, looking straight at the Doctor, and its eyes narrowed dangerously.

Then it stood slowly, revealing its true identity to the small group. Its long legs were at least twice as long as Jack's, and the same with its arms, which ended in cruel looking claws, roughly the width of a deflated basketball, ebony black talons, tapering to a razor sharp points after 3 inches of gleaming blackness. A long muzzle dripped with long strands of saliva, brimming with sharp teeth that looked like they could tear through metal.

A loud growl rumbled out of its throat, making the very ground tremble. It stood tall, a foreboding figure of black fur.

It roared loudly, teeth bared, and lunged.

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**Now I'm very sorry to say that it may be a whhile before the next installment, as I'm getting back to Drumming the Spirit out of the Storm. But you did just get two chapters in one go, so that should make veryone happy, right?**

**Reviewers get bananas!**


	4. Big Bad Wolf

**Long wait, I know. Don't balme me, blame the rest of the wold for getting in the way. Thank Noofle though, coz she's da bomb! (Boom!) I is usin' da good grammarz, innit!**

**Sadly, I do not own Doctor Who, but it's only a matter of time...**

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Rose ducked and screamed, shielding the dazed Doctor with her body even as Jack covered her with his own. The beast leapt clean over them, sinking claws into a tree trunk behind them and scaling it in a matter of seconds, growling loudly. Jack looked up, turning on his heel to try to keep the creature in his sight, but it vanished into the blackness of the canopy above. The Doctor was looking up at where it had been with a pained look on his face.

"You OK?" Jack asked him as Rose helped the Time Lord to his feet.

"Owie!" he whimpered childishly. He wiped his blooded face with his hands, wincing.

"Let me have a look..." Rose took his face in her hands, trying to inspect the numerous cuts, but the Doctor jerked his head away, complaining. "Stop bein' such a baby!"

"But it _huuuuuurts_!" the Doctor whined. "Don't like twees Wosie... Dey're mean!" Rose slapped his arm lightly. "I bet I'd get better a lot quicker if I had an extra layer..." he grinned down at her, hope etched into every feature.

"No way Doc! A bet's a bet!" Jack grabbed hold of the Doctor's wrist. "C'mon!"

Jack dragged him away, the Doctor seemed a little dazed, accidentally walking into trees numerous times, so Rose and Jack each had to hold on to an arm and steer him in the vague direction of the TARDIS.

Before long, the trio became aware of the sound of raised voices (well, Rose and Jack were, and they weren't sure about the Doctor) coming from the other side of the small hill they were climbing. Rose started back a few steps, and Jack tried to jerk to the side, both looking for somewhere to take cover, but with a dizzy Doctor between them, they just managed to stay in the same place. There was nowhere for two humans and a Time Lord to hide, no tree big enough. They were stranded out in the open.

A torch beam swung over, temporarily blinding them, and a loud voice shouted, "Wha' the 'ell are you doin' ou' 'ere?" Jack looked up to see a large group of men of all ages, carrying torches, both flaming and electric, pitchforks and guns. One man detached himself from the throng, running over to them, his industrial-sized torch shining over the Doctor, illuminating his bloody face and hands, and the tears in his suit. "Wha' 'appened t' you?" he asked suspiciously.

"_Biiiiiig_ dog..." Rose said, drawing her hoodie closer around her against the cold of the night.

The man suddenly became more anxious, grabbing the Doctor by the shoulders and shaking him roughly backwards and forwards, side to side. "Was it the Wolf?" he asked frantically. When the Doctor didn't answer, the man grabbed the Time Lord's head in both hands and practically screamed at him. "Did it bite you? Did it bite you?"

"Oi mate! Calm down!" Jack intervened, gripping the man's wrist and halting him in his treatment of the Doctor. The Doctor simply keeled over backwards, groaning, landing on his back, extremely dizzy. Why was everything so fuzzy? "_Did_ it bite you Doc?" Jack asked gently.

The Doctor shook his head, then regretted it instantly, holding one hand to his forehead. "No... Didn't bi' me... Jus' dropped me." Then he lowered his head, holding it in both hands as he tried to focus his thoughts, crossing his legs underneath himself in a more comfortable position.

Rose looked at him for a few seconds, then looked over her shoulder in the direction that they had just come from, addressing the man without looking at him.

"What happens if it bites you?" she asked him.

The man was incredulous. "Where've you been living?" then he sobered up. "You become like it," he said simply, though Jack detected an underlying tone of sadness. "You'd be an animal, kill ya as soon as look at ya when the Moon's full."

"Ah..." was all that Jack said as he gawped, then turned to look at the Doctor, who was currently staring up at the man with a disbelieving yet slightly worried look on his face.

"A Werewolf?" he asked, echoing himself with Queen Victoria in Torchwood House. Rose remembered all too well what had happened that night when the Moon had come out, what had happened to the boy in the cage. She shuddered at the memory, looking down at the Doctor, trying not to imagine him in the same situation. "Another one?" he was saying. "How many of these things are there?" he joked, laughing slightly, some colour returning to his face. The other man's face however went as red as Rose's namesake. He was in the Doctor's face in an instant, shouting loud enough to wake the dead.

"This is not laughing matter, sonny, people have died, coz of that thing, vanished into thin air!" He lowered his voice a little, so he was speaking normally. "Sometimes we find 'em, torn to shreds, decapitated, not a bone left unbroken in 'em. So don't you dare laugh, man! Good men have been lost, trying to bring this thing down!"

Then he stopped, taking in the Doctor's dishevelled form, and sighed. "But I can see tha' you don't care... If you did then you wouldn't have made it angry." He stopped and stepped back as Jack leant in and started examining the Doctor's cuts, evidently looking for bite marks, despite the Doctor's uncoordinated protests.

"They're OK Doc, they're not deep, you just bled a lot. I can kiss 'em better if you want?" He stepped back swiftly as the Doctor swatted at him. "See? You're lookin' better already!"

"I _feel_ better!" the Doctor looked up at Jack's face, and his brow creased in confusion. "Jack, why is there three of you?" he said, addressing a patch of air on Jack's right.

Jack pulled a face. "Uh-huh..." The rest of the mob had caught up with them now, and their fire cast a soft warmth over the group

Another stranger called out from the mass of people. "Oi, Jim! Wha's goin' on?" A torch shone out from the group and Jim's appearance was revealed. He was an older man, a mess of grey and silver hair atop a silver bearded face with fierce brown eyes and bushy eyebrows, not to mention a moustache the size of Iceland. At a guess Rose would have said he was about sixty-ish.

"Nothin'," Jim replied. "Some idiot just had a close run-in with it!" He reached down and grabbed the Doctor's shoulders in a punishing grip and dragging him to his feet, ignoring Jack and Rose's protests. "You need checkin' over," he said maliciously before throwing the Doctor into the crowd. Somehow, on the way, he somehow managed to trip over his own feet, and the men closest to him all had to step back to avoid him falling onto them. Some even laughed.

"Got a righ' klutz 'ere Silver!" Jack snorted at the man's comment. Jim Silver; ironic when they were facing a Werewolf.

Rose started to make her way over to the Doctor (who was currently lying on his back in the mud), and that was when she heard it. The shouts coming from behind her. She turned to look, as had many others, and saw a middle-aged man tearing towards them out of the darkness, screaming.

"Oh my God, help me! It's after me! Help me for God's sake!" he was screaming, running as fast as he could. Straight towards them. And chasing him, was the Wolf, roaring and snarling, eyes fixed on its prey, gaining on him every second.

The mob dispersed as men yelled and shouted warnings, fanning out to take cover behind trees. The Doctor snapped his head up, lifting himself up so he was leaning on his elbows backwards. His eyes were sharp and focused now, locked onto the Wolf, wide and staring. Frantically he started backing away, crawling backwards, pushing himself with feet and hands through the slimy mud that he lay on.

The man that was the Wolf's target had reached the group by now, diving behind the men with guns in his haste to try to escape what he was sure would be a painful death, and the men he was hiding behind opened fire on the Wolf, which skidded to a halt and snarled as the bullets easily rebounded off its strong skin. It raised one enormous arm and swatted the men away with ease, flinging them at least ten feet away from it, leaving its target out in the open. The man screamed in terror as it leapt at him, teeth bared. He suddenly rolled to the side, just escaping its terrifying jaws, getting up quickly and running for his life to the Doctor.

Rose and Jack were sheltering behind a tree, trying to tell people to run for safety, but no-one was listening; they were all geared up to shoot the thing to kingdom come. Rose happened to look at the Doctor just as he struggled to his feet. Unfortunately, the man also cannoned into him at the exact same moment and bowled him back down, landing on top of him in a muddled heap.

The Doctor forced himself up again, pushing the man off him and grabbing his arm, pulling him up and stumbling away behind a conveniently placed tree, just as the Wolf reached them, still roaring. It charged past them, missing them by inches, but the air that followed it ruffled hair and clothes alike.

"Open fire!" came the shout from nearby, and all at once there were bullets flying everywhere; tiny bursts of light coming from all around them - gunfire.

The Wolf turned sharply, searching out its prey. Its eyes fell upon the Doctor shielding the other man with his own body, staring it down.

"Just listen to me..." he said quietly, not doubting for a second that it could hear him over the blizzard of bullets, "you don't have to do this... What do you want?"

Rose could see his mouth moving, and although she couldn't hear anything she knew what he was trying to do. And she could also tell, from the Wolf's stance and reactions, that he was failing. She tried to shout out a warning, but he didn't hear her. And it was too late.

The Wolf snarled, and then charged straight at the two men. The Doctor stood firm, holding his ground, but it was obvious that the man cowering behind him had none of the Doctor's courage. He suddenly broke cover, careering across the forest floor, despite the calls of "_Ed, no!_" The Doctor turned quickly, looking after Ed's fleeing silhouette, just as the Wolf jumped clean over him, chasing down the tired man.

"No!" he shouted, charging after the pair. Rose made to follow but Jack held her back and no matter how much she struggled, she could not break free. Ed tripped suddenly and fell onto his front, trying to scramble away, but before he knew it the Wolf was on top of him, its long teeth embedded in the back of his neck. He was screaming. But the Doctor had leapt up and had fastened his arms around the Wolf's neck from behind, pulling it off the captured man.

"Let him go!" the Doctor was yelling in its ear. It reared up, roaring loudly, Ed's blood flying from its jaws as it twisted this way and that, leaping to and fro, but the Doctor would not let go. "Get away Ed!" he shouted, struggling to keep a hold on the fur beneath him. The Wolf growled ferociously, raised its arms, grabbed hold of the Doctor's collar and lifted him off with ease. The creature brought him around to the front and looked him straight in the eye, a deep growl rising from its throat. The Doctor stared into its eyes, feeling fear for the first time at the intelligence and anger he found burning in them. "Not the throwing thing..." he groaned, "Please not the throwing thing..."

The Wolf seemed to smile grimly, but also sadly. It strengthened its grip on the Doctor's collar, span around twice, gaining momentum like an athlete in the Olympics, and threw the Doctor like a shot-put. "Do NOT like the throwing thing!" the Doctor yelled as he flew through the air. The whole forest seemed to flinch as he smashed into a tree backwards, slipped down the trunk, and landed face first in the mud, lying still and silent.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed, finally breaking free of Jack's grip and running over to where the Time Lord had fallen, Jack following close behind. The Wolf turned back to its prize, a heavily bleeding Ed, and launched itself at him again, closing its teeth around his neck. Other man were closing in now, aiming their weapons at its face. The Wolf growled loudly, detaching itself from its meal and looking up at them, snarling. Then Jim ran forward, pushing his flaming stick into its face, grabbing hold of Ed's shoulders at the same time and pulling him away. The Wolf roared in anger and pain, recoiling as the flames licked at its muzzle, backing away before turning and fleeing back into the trees. Ed was swallowed by the crowd, and a few hurried over to Rose and Jack who were trying to rouse the Doctor.

"It's no good," Jack was saying worriedly. "He's out cold..." He stood and waved the others closer. "Come on guys, let's get these two to hospital, quick sharp!" he clapped. Between eight of them, they managed to carry the Doctor and Ed out of the trees and towards the city to the east. Jim and a few others brought up the rear, their guns aimed at the darkness.

Behind them, after they had all left the, Wolf stayed on its branch, watched their progress before they vanished into the cover of the buildings, and smiled sadly.

* * *

**I did have something amazingly witty and funny to say here, but I've forgotten, so this'll have to do.**

**Reviewers get bananas!**


	5. FLAMES

**I know, another long wait... Twas not my fault! It was those darned voices in my head again! They really are VERY distracting!**

**Again, unBETA'd, but that just adds to the thrill of it, right?**

* * *

The Doctor's head felt fuzzy. Everything hurt, and when he tried to open his eyes he had to try four times before he succeeded, and even then it was so bright it made his eyes water, so he closed them again. The next time he tried, he managed to keep them open long enough to adjust to the painful light. A voice assailed his ears, but it made no sense, it was all jumbled and echoey.

"_Jack's been fiddling with the sound system again, no doubt..._" he thought to himself.

Then Jack's face swam into view from three different directions, which was no mean feat, considering that, as far as the Doctor could remember, Jack only had one head to his name, and his body for that matter.

"Doc? Helloooo? Doc, you there?" Jack was asking. The Doctor however, didn't feel inclined to answer, he'd much rather go back to sleep, so he closed his eyes again. But then there was a fresh pain, it felt like someone was hammering on his skull. It was a few seconds before he realised that, actually, someone _was_ hammering on his skull.

Well, maybe hammering was too strong a word, knocking certainly, but not hammering. Still hurt though. He groaned and recoiled from the unwelcome contact, pushing the offending fist away rather sloppily.

"Hello? Hellohellohellohellooo? Anybody home?"

"_Damn immortal Time Agent..." _

"You need to get up now, Doctor." Rose was trying a softer approach than Jack, but it still wasn't going to work.

"Go 'way. 'm asleep..." the Doctor moaned at them, rolling over onto his side and burying his face in the crook of one arm. A hand tried to turn him over but he batted it away, growling slightly in the back of his throat.

Opening his eyes again, he saw Rose this time, looking down at him worriedly. Seeing how concerned she was for his welfare, he sat up gruffly. He looked round at both of them.

"I _really_ don't like the throwing thing!" he said, matter-of-factly.

Jack laughed. "Good to see you're awake, finally. You had us worried for a few minutes there!"

"You know you don't need to worry, right? You ought to!" the Doctor got up off the crude bed he had been placed on, panting his feet on the floor before standing swiftly. Rose had to jump forward to catch his as his legs buckled beneath him.

"You alright?" Rose asked him as he pushed himself up again, holding his head. "_Stupid question..._" she thought even as she said it. The Doctor simply looked up at her with raised eyebrows, smiling dumbly.

"I'm always alright." he said, stepping away from her and standing tall. Then a shadow seemed to fall across his face, and Rose feared he was about to fall down again. "Ed?" the Doctor suddenly asked, focussing on them with a sharp gaze that showed both worry and fear. When neither of them answered, he seemed to only get more worried. "He's not...?"

"He's still alive, just." Rose answered, quietly. "He's not looking good though. He's on life-support."

The Doctor jumped forward, with speed that shouldn't have been possible for a man in his state, Time Lord or not. Jack caught hold of his arm before he reached the door. "An' where are you goin'?"

The Doctor looked at Jack like he was crazy. "I'm gonna go see if there's anything I can do for him. Anything wrong with that?" he growled, shaking Jack's hand off and leaving the room, jogging quickly down the corridor and turning into the next room. He stopped short in the doorway.

Ed was barely visible under all the wires that connected him to his machines. An oxygen mask was strapped onto his face, and a heart monitor bleeped loudly at measured intervals. Rose ducked under the Doctor's outstretched arm, glancing quickly at Ed before looking up at the Doctor. His face was ashen, his eyes locked onto the man in the bed as moved forward slowly.

The nurse looked up sharply as he entered, looking slightly shocked as she saw who it was. "Ahh, Doctor! How are you feeling?" Her nametag said her name was Sophie Myers.

"No comment." He answered humourlessly. Silently, he walked to Ed's side, looking at the sheer number of wires and machines he was attached to. "How is he? Any improvement?"

"Afraid not. His injuries are pretty severe, and he's lost a lot of blood. Also, there's something in the blood inside him that we can't identify. No-one knows how he survived the attack; by all accounts it should have killed him. You got off lightly compared to what he went through." she said, checking her clipboard as she spoke.

"Well, nothing too serious then. That's a vote of confidence!" Jack joked, chuckling quietly. Then he broke off when the Doctor glared at him. "C'mon, Doc, it's not your fault."

"Yeah right." He huffed. "He came to me for help, and look what happened. I failed, spectacularly, if I do say so myself."

"There's nothing you could've done! You saw the size of that thing!" Rose tried to comfort him. "You're just lucky that it didn't decide to tear you to shreds in passing. What do you really think you could've done against it?"

That made him think. She could see him mind working overtime to try to see any possible scenario other then the one that was in front of him.

"I don't know" he finally admitted, quietly. "Something..." he looked forlornly at the man in the bed. It was strange, he'd only known the man for a few seconds at the time, and yet he still felt so protective of him. It seemed to happen a lot to him, maybe because it was always the humans that were in trouble, and they never seemed to be able to handle themselves without making everything worse. Now here he was, blaming himself for Ed's misfortune. What could he have done to protect him_, really_?

"There was something I wanted to ask you," the Doctor turned back to Sophie. "What's Ed like? I mean, is he quiet, a joker, a good friend, violent, passive, pillar of the community, or anything really?"

"I don't know him personally, sir, but Jim's done some looking. I could ask him?"

"Please." Jack wasn't to sure about letting Jim near the Doctor so soon after their last encounter, especially as the Doctor seemed to be in a very bad mood. He supposed that after being dropped several meters, attacked by a Werewolf, failing to protect a fellow man and being thrown into a tree, a guy was likely to not feel too cheery.

Sophie walked out of the room, and the Doctor slumped into a chair, holding his head in his hands and pinching the bridge of his nose. Rose crouched down beside him.

"You ok?" she asked him, then jumped back slightly when he snapped at her.

"Course I'm ok!" then he sighed. "Sorry," he said, nodding to her. "it's just a headache, and I feel bad about Ed-" he broke off as Nurse Myers came back into the room, followed by two people. One was Jim, and the other was a woman.

She stood tall, and looked down her nose at everything and everyone. Arrogance rolled off her in waves, and everyone could feel that she thought she was the only thing in the world that mattered. Her shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back in a tight plait, and her grey eyes were sharp and took in every detail.

"Doctor," said Sophie as the Time Lord stood, "you've already met Jim Silver, and this is Brigh, his daughter." she said, indicating to each newcomer in turn. Jim and the Doctor glared at each other across the room, but what unnerved Rose was that Brigh was glaring at the Doctor too. In fact, she was glaring at everyone, especially Ed, though he for one was not glaring back. It was for that reason that neither Rose nor Jack went over to greet her.

Brigh stalked over to Ed's bedside, inspecting his face as if he were a kind of vermin that she wasn't allowed to kill. "So, this is the latest target?" she enquired.

"Tha's him." Jim replied, still not taking his eyes off the Doctor. "An' this one's the idiot who got the blasted thing angry!"

Brigh walked briskly to stand in front of the Doctor, looking him up and down. "He's not much, I don't see why you're so worried, Father." Jack scoffed, and the Doctor rolled his eyes, somehow managing to remain staring at Jim all the while. "But that's not why we're here. We're here to investigate the circumstances and outcome of the latest attack."

"Ah, there's one thing we have in common!" the Doctor commented, no hint of humour in his voice. "I'd like to know why he was attacked as well. And why you two don't seem that bother by whether or not he's going to pull through."

"That is of no concern to you, Doctor," Jim spat, "besides, it could be worse if he does pull through than if he doesn't. If he lives and he's infected, then everyone is at risk. If he dies, then the beast will start the search for a suitable replacement. Either way, we have a problem. "

"Now, now Father." Brigh sighed. "Stop telling civilians classified information, otherwise I may have to shoot them, and I really can't bare the thought of the paperwork." Rose was concerned that she couldn't detect any sign of sarcasm or humour in her words, and unconsciously stepped closer to the Doctor.

"Tell me about Ed!" the Doctor insisted, looking this time at Brigh. Her face was a perfect mask, and gave nothing away. "I'm not asking about anything that isn't open to "civilians", I just want to know about Ed."

Brigh sighed. "Edward Kiln was no-one, he had no family, relied heavily on drugs and alcohol to see him through the day, and will be missed by very few people."

"You're talking about him as though he's already dead!" the Doctor was furious.

"I have the authority to make sure it happens." Brigh said with a sneer.

"Says who?" Rose challenged her, resisting the urge to flinch as Brigh turned her unfriendly eyes in her direction.

Brigh sighed again, and pulled a leather wallet out of her coat, opening it to reveal a badge and card inside. "Brigh Silver, founder and leader of FLAMES, Fighting Lycanthropy And Maintaining Eternal Sanctuary. I give myself authority, Doctor, and you are nothing compared to me."

"You may think you're all that, but really, _you're_ the one who's nothing. You get other people to do all your dirty work for you and then _you_ take all the credit." Rose was sick of Brigh's attitude, and she's only met the woman a few minutes ago.

Brigh turned to Rose again, her eyes burning with anger. "I'd watch what I said if I were you, girl. Otherwise, you may find a bullet in your brain." she said quietly.

The Doctor held Rose close, and Jack stood between the two women. "Anyone who threatens Rose is the one who needs to watch out. Only a coward makes a threat like that, a little girl hiding behind Daddy because he scares people." The Doctor stepped forward, standing almost nose to nose with Brigh. "Just because you have power doesn't make you the one who decides if people live or die. That decision is no-one's to make, no-one has the right, and you'd do well to remember that before someone has to teach it to you. Hopefully it won't be me." He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself, and stepped back. "Now then, I believe you have other business to attend to."

"What gave you that idea?" Jim snarled.

"Well, you have no business here, and staff taking care of patients can expel persons from their premises if they see fit."

"But you're not taking care of him." Brigh sniggered, indicating at the still comatose Ed with a nod of her head.

"No, but Nurse Myers is." Sophie's eyes popped at the Doctor's words. "And I don't think she wants you around." He looked pointedly at her. She looked terrified at the very idea of sending the head of FLAMES away, as if she were afraid for her life just because of thinking such a thing. Brigh was staring at her, and she couldn't miss the fire in those cold eyes. Sophie hung her head, but nodded, almost imperceptibly.

"There you go then! Would you please leave?" The Doctor skipped over to the door, holding it open for them. Jim went first, grumbling into his moustache.

Brigh stopped just short of the door, glaring at the Doctor. "FLAMES burn all who stand in their way you know. You are no different than the others."

"Maybe not, but flames also kill innocents, those who've done nothing wrong, and don't deserve to burn." And with that, he closed the door in her face, locking her out as much for her protection as his.

* * *

**I couldn't think of anything better than FLAMES. Any help?**

**Reviewers get bananas!**


	6. Tea!

**Early christmas present for all you lovely readers out there!**

**UnBETA'd as I don't think that Noof should have to work for her christmas present when everyone else gets the same thing for free! :)**

* * *

"Doctor, are you OK?" Rose asked, worried. He hadn't left Ed's room since he'd evicted Brigh and her father. Since then he'd been on the move constantly, pacing up and down, running his fingers through his hair, clenching his jaw repeatedly, slowly getting more and more agitated. Jack had sent himself on a mission to find something to cheer him up, and hadn't come back yet.

"Fine" he growled, still pacing. Then he let out an exasperated sigh, slumping into the empty chair by Ed's side, staring at the injured man with a peculiar look on his face.

Rose walked over and knelt down beside him, patting his knee comfortingly and looking up at his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" he said gruffly.

"Come on, I know you. I know there's something wrong. I'm here for you" she encouraged him. "How's the head?"

"I can live with it," he croaked "Just please don't talk so loudly?"

"I don't talk loud!" she smiled, gently slapping his knee "But I think I can manage that!"

Just then the door opened and the Doctor leapt to his feet, glaring at the door accusingly. Sophie's head popped round through the gap. "Sorry..." she apologised quietly, stepping through and closing the door behind her. The Doctor lowered himself down again, sighing and rubbing his eyes with his palms.

"You're a little jumpy." Rose stated.

"Really? I hadn't noticed!" the Doctor said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rose was a little taken aback by his tone. "Sorry for caring!" she snapped, getting up. She stopped when a hand caught hold of her elbow and looked down at him.

"Sorry," he sighed, letting go of her. "I'm... I'm just... I don't know" he broke off, holding his head in his hands. He looked so worn down that Rose just wanted to hug him better, but she knew that in his current mood he wouldn't really appreciate the close body contact as much as he ought.

"Don't worry," Sophie chipped in, glancing up from her clipboard. "We all get like this, especially round this time."

"What time?" Rose asked, instantly suspicious. Normally the Doctor would be getting suspicious too, but now he just continued staring at his hands. What Rose couldn't see was that his hands were shaking, so badly that he had to clasp them together very tightly to make it less obvious.

"You mean you don't know?" Sophie exclaimed, sounding incredulous.

"Does is _sound_ like we know?" the Doctor's deadpan monotone drifted slowly over Rose's shoulder, as if the sound itself was injured and lethargic.

"Not really, no..." Sophie sighed. "Well, in a few days time, the Night of Dark Realms falls."

"The Night of Dark Realms?" Rose pondered.

"Sounds dark..." the Doctor mused. Rose rolled her eyes at him. "What?"

"Every 10 years, the Night of Dark Realms falls over the entire planet. Night reigns for 9 months of the year-"

"Out of how many?" Rose interrupted.

"12 of course!" Sophie looked at her questioningly, as if she'd just sprouted another head and announced that she was going to marry the bedpost. Behind Rose, the Doctor coughed suspiciously.

"What's with you?" Rose rounded on him angrily.

"None of your business!" he retorted harshly.

"Don't mind him, Rose." Sophie whispered in her ear. "As I said, we all get like that around this time."

"Why?"

"No-one knows, but of course there are conspiracy theories. I think that it's the atmosphere. Everyone's so tight and worried about the coming months. Everything goes wrong, y'see, and the Wolves go wild. With no sunlight they can go on the rampage constantly, there's always a full moon, so they don't have to fear the sun." She paused for breath. "So, as I was saying, I think it's the atmosphere. As soon as one person starts to feel uneasy, everyone close to them gets like it, and so on and so on. This depressing mood is so contagious-"

At that moment, the Doctor leapt to his feet as the door burst open, revealing a very cheerful Jack Harkness.

"Tea!" the ex-Time Agent exclaimed joyously, bounding into the room. "Just what we all need!" He took in Rose and Sophie's surprised looks, and turned to see the Doctor glaring at him. Jack backed off slightly, placing the steaming mug of tea on the floor. "In exchange for my head?"

"Don't mind him," Rose glared at the Doctor as he picked his mug up off the floor. "he got up on the wrong side of the trans-dimensional bed this morning."

"So not a very happy Time Bunny?" Jack laughed at his own joke, but stopped. If looks could kill then Jack would be a pile of smouldering ashes on the tiled floor.

"Thanks" said Rose as Jack handed her a mug.

Jack handed one to Sophie too, and then leant into Rose conspiratorially. "I didn't wanna tell the Doc, given his mood right now, but there's a guy from FLAMES waiting in reception. He says he wants to talk to us."

"Well, let's see what he wants then!" the Doctor jumped up, putting his empty mug on the side, making his way to the doors.

Jack and Rose looked quickly at their own mugs, still full of tea. Sophie shrugged. "Maybe that's just what he needed?" she suggested. Jack handed his mug to her and ran after the Doctor, barring his way halfway down the corridor.

"Is that really the best idea, Doc? I mean with you..." he indicated the Time Lord's clenched fists and jaw.

"Oh, c'mon Jack! It's the best idea since putting "DO NOT PRESS!" on big red buttons!" the Doctor shouted over his shoulder from the doors at the far end of the corridor _behind_ Jack. Jack blinked. _How'd he gotten over there?_

Rose was just coming out of Ed's room, taking in Jack's expression as she made her way towards him. "What?" Rose blinked at him.

"... Nothing..." Jack sprinted to catch up with the Doctor, as the doors were just swinging shut behind him. "_He sure can move fast when he wants to!_" Jack chuckled to himself. The Doctor had already vanished into the waiting room when Jack got to the doors, so he waited for Rose to catch up to him before he pushed them open and went inside.

The man waiting for them was maybe in his mid-to-late twenties, sitting nervously in a tatty chair. He had short blackish hair, most of which was hidden underneath a military style cap. The FLAMES insignia showed on the front, fire consuming a wolf's head, which was throw backwards, apparently howling in pain. Rose quickly averted her gaze. True she wasn't the biggest fan of werewolves right now, but that didn't mean that she wanted to see them being brutally burnt to death on an item of clothing. He was about Jack's height, as far as Rose could tell from his seated pose, well built, and strong for his age. Jack noted as he stepped inside the small room, that the man looked uncomfortable and jittery, fidgeting all the time in his seat. The Doctor was hovering behind him, apparently unnoticed.

Jack cleared his throat. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr..."

"Day," the man spurted hastily, standing ram-rod straight, arm raised in a stiff salute. "Joshua Day"

"You don't have to stand, y'know." Rose said soothingly, and Joshua sat back down again, nodding his thanks. He looked exhausted, not to mention slightly terrified. "So then, Josh, wha-"

"Whaddya want?" the Doctor said loudly in Josh's ear from behind. Josh leapt off his seat so fast that he fell over, gasping in shock. He stared at the Doctor for a few seconds, trying to get his breathing back under control, then he got shakily to his feet, brushing himself down and coughing self-consciously.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't see you there-" he began, but the Doctor cut him off.

"Just answer the question!" he growled, taking a small step towards the younger man. Rose jogged over to the Time Lord an gently but firmly held him back.

"Calm down..." she whispered.

"I..." Josh swallowed and tried again. "I just wanted to apologise for my boss' behaviour towards you. She thinks she can walk over everyone."

"Yeah, she's not exactly sweetness and light, is she?" Jack stated.

Josh smiled nervously. "I can't comment, sir, it could cost me my job." He carried on before anyone could question him about the fairness of his last statement. "I was wondering if you'd let me make it up to you?"

Rose could tell that Jack was about to make an inappropriate comment, so she stepped in before he could. "It's not your fault though, you know that, right?"

There was a pause, wherein Josh seemed to get more uncomfortable every second. He was standing again now, looking from one face to another, as if he couldn't decide which to look pleadingly at.

"Why?" the Doctor asked quietly, surprising all of them.

"Because, Brigh _can_ walk over everyone, and because no-one stands in her way, citizens like you get trampled."

Another pause.

"OK" Rose answered for them.

"No," the Doctor refused. "absolutely not!"

"Please, sir-"

"No. We are not some way to ease your guilt so that you can carry on doing exactly the same thing, knowing that for once in your life you did the right thing!"

"I assure you, sirs, miss-"

"Call me Rose, and he's Jack," Rose indicated beside her. "And this is one very grumpy, and probably concussed Doctor."

"Superior Time Lord physiology, Rose," the Doctor sniffed, pompously. "I _don't get_ concussed."

"I assure you, Doctor, that in no way am I using you as a guilt easer. Sophie simply called me and said that you three have nowhere to stay." He paused. "I know a couple who run a bed-and-breakfast hotel. They owe me a favour, so I can get you food and lodgings for however long you want them."

The Doctor just grumbled to himself as Rose led him aside for a chat. When they returned, Josh was looking hopeful. The Doctor stalked past him and back through the double doors they'd come through on the way in.

"He's just gonna check on Ed one last time, then you can show us to this place, OK?" Rose asked Josh.

Josh smiled, obviously relieved. "Great!" However, even when he was smiling, he was still evidently exhausted. When Rose asked him why, he just said "We've all been out all night looking for this wolf." He sat down again, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "There's this one, it's really clever, been eluding us since we saw it first. We think it's the original, because it's the one we saw first. We think that it's the one that started biting people first at least, if not the first to live here. But try as we might, we just can't catch it!" he sounded annoyed now. Then he looked up at Jack, almost apologetically. "That wolf was the one that you met last night. The one that put Ed on life support..."

"Do you know Ed?" Jack asked

"Yeah," Josh sighed. "He was always good for a laugh down the pub if you ever wanted one. Always happy, unless he hadn't had a drink for a while, but then you just buy him a pint and he's all smiles again!" he sighed again.

"What's up?" Rose patted his shoulder. "He's still here you know!"

"Not for long though..."

"Why not?"

"Because if he'd been attacked by the wolf, odds are he's dead anyway, and if he lives-"

"Then that lot'll kill 'im!" a new voice added from the front doors. They all turned to see the speaker. He was a plump man, early forties. Shoulder-length brown hair framed a face that you wouldn't want to walk into on a dark night. Yet this man carried himself with an air similar to Jim Silver's, a kind of "don't mess with me or you'll regret it" demeanour. He walked forward, until her was level with Jack. "Y' know it's true, lad, don' deny it!"

Josh said nothing, but glared at the newcomer with what could only be described as contempt.

"And who are you?" Jack asked, pointedly.

The newcomer laughed. "Y' must be new around 'ere!" he gave them a mocking bow. "Th' name's Albright, Jon Albright. And I stand for everythin' that this lot are against!" he pointed at Josh's cap, where the FLAMES insignia still sat. "These poor beasts jus' wan' somewhere tha' they can live in peace! They wan' somewhere tha' they can make families an' live their lives in harmony with us! But you lot, shoot 'em down and slaughter 'em as soon as find one. No wonder they rip people apart; kill or be killed, isn' tha' what we say?"

"So you represent the wolves then?" Rose questioned him, one eyebrow raised.

Jon looked at her eyebrow, and raised one of his own. He looked at Josh. "I see you've already got t' these two." He leant down until his eyes were level with the younger man's. "You mark my words; one day soon, the moon will rise, and the wolves will rise with it, an' all those who hunted them will become the hunted. Wolves are natural predators, you don' think they'll find you a whole lot quicker than you'll find them?" he tutted, straightening up. "You'll be one o' the firs', I guarantee it."

Josh stood up quickly, standing nose to nose with Jon. "How can you be so sure?" he growled, clenching his fists tightly. "How can you, a _human_, know what the wolves _think_, what they're _planning_? Maybe we need to wait for night time to see you for what you _really_ are?"

Jack sensed this was getting out of hand, and he moved forward to stop the growing brawl.

"OK, fella's, break it up now!" the Doctor was suddenly between them, one hand on each of their chests', pushing them gently apart. Gently, but firmly, with surprising strength for a man so skinny, thought the young FLAMES member. "I'm sure that neither of you have anything to hide and nothing personal against the other, so if we can all play nice and not wake the neighbours then we'll all get along great!"

"Since when were you the calm one here?" Rose whispered to him as he stepped back from the pair.

"You know me, Rose" he smiled. "What goes down must go up!"

Jon started backing toward the doors to the outside. "Nice t' meetcha." He nodded to Rose, Jack and the Doctor. "See y' round..." he eyed Josh angrily, and then vanished into the afternoon sunlight.

"Friend of yours?" the Doctor asked Josh, looking rather displeased at Jon's attitude towards the younger man.

"No" Josh answered curtly. Then he stepped forward, smiling again. "C'mon! Your lodgings await!"

"Allons-y!" the Doctor cheered, skipping out of the door and turning left, Rose and Jack beginning to follow. They stopped at Josh's voice.

"Other way, Doctor!"

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**Reviewers get bananas!**


	7. Assault!

**It's been a while! Hello Internet! Sorry, I'm late again! No excuses... Anyway, enjoy. Warning, un-BETA'd, so probably frought with errors. Tell me if you spot any?**

* * *

The building Josh took them to was small, very quaint. It was exactly as Rose imagined the houses in Tudor England. Large wooden beams criss-crossed its exterior, painted a dark brown to contrast with the faint yellow of the walls in between. The windows were flung wide open, each one like a set of double doors, opening outwards to the street outside, their panes intersected at regular intervals to create a diamond-shaped pattern. Every house in the street was the same.

Out of one of the windows a plump woman with curly ginger hair was shaking a duster vigorously. She stopped when she saw them.

"Joshua!" she yelled happily to them, one large arm raised in greeting, as she vanished from view.

Josh waved back, saying: "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, we're here!" he smiled over his shoulder at Rose and the Doctor.

"Just let me have a look!" Rose was saying, standing on tip-toes.

"No."

"They look painful!"

"Rose, they're fine!"

"Please Doctor!"

"Stop fussing! It's my face! My TENTH face! I think I know by now when to worry about it!"

"Then just humour me?" Rose asked, trying to get a good luck at the numerous cuts and grazes on the Doctor's face. They'd stopped bleeding before he'd come round in the hospital, they just looked painful. Well, to Rose anyway.

"Rose, trust me, it's nothing! They'll have healed by tomorrow or the day after, you've nothing to worry about. C'mon!" he paused at her pouting face. "You know how fast I can heal."

"C'mon, lovebirds! You're lodgings await you!" Josh joked, but stopped at a death-glare from the Doctor.

"Doc, cool it; it was a joke!" Jack laughed too, seeming immune to the Time Lord's death-glares.

Just then, the woman who had been upstairs, and a man with short brown hair and a matching beard jogged out to meet them. They were both dressed simply, a t-shirt and jeans for the man, and a pink blouse with small frilly sleeves and a long ankle-length navy skirt for the woman.

"You should have called ahead, we'd have got everything ready for you!" The woman said pleasantly, engaging the FLAMES operative in a bone-crushing hug.

"Sorry..." Josh gasped, struggling to breathe. "Circumstances, you know..." he staggered backwards, rubbing his neck.

"Get some air back in yer, boy!" the man laughed heartily, clapping Josh on the back and having the opposite to his comment, causing the smaller man to stumble and almost fall.

"I'll try!" Josh smiled, tiredly. "Introductions. Doctor, Rose, Jack, this is Bertha and Kip." He pointed to each in turn while the two parties exchanged hugs and handshakes. When Bertha tried to hug the Doctor, he looked just about ready to bolt and run for his life. Rose giggled, but then she was sure she heard something in his back crack as the Time Lord was embraced. Jack politely declined the display of affection and went to greet Kip as the Doctor his behind Rose from the larger woman.

"Kip?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, jus' an old nickname that stuck really. I like cakes!" he shrugged, as if that were explanation enough.

"Kip, these guys need a place to stay, and they've no luggage or lodgings. You think you can help them out?" Josh smiled knowingly.

"Any friend o' Day's is a friend o' ours!" Kip exclaimed. Jack was confused for a second, before he remembered that Day was Josh's last name.

Josh was thanking the older man when suddenly Bertha exclaimed loudly and shot behind Josh to the Doctor' s side.

"Oh you _poor_ dear!" Bertha was crooning loudly, holding the Doctor in a bear hug, and no matter how he struggled he could not prise her off. "Look at the _state_ of you! What happened to your _clothes_? And your _face_? You poor little _thing_!" now she had the Doctor's face in her hands and was forcibly examining him, despite his protests. "These look _nasty_, they do! We'll have to sort you out, won't we?"

"No! No you won't!" the Doctor panicked, trying desperately to get away.

"Awwww, sweetie! Course we will! You don't know what you're saying! We'll see to that. Come with Bertha, Hun." She planted a wet kiss on his forehead, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him, wriggling and struggling back into the house and the pair vanished from sight.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, then: "She likes him, tha' one..." Kip chuckled. Then he sniffed. "Come on then, lets show yer to yer rooms!" and so saying, he lead the way. Once inside, they were struck by how homely the place was; everywhere there were pictures of Kip and Bertha, as well as a little girl of about nine.

"Tha's Maddi, our girl!" Kip said proudly. "And speak of the devil!" The girl that came out of the door on their left wore the same kind of clothes as her mother, a long plain skirt and a peach coloured button-up blouse, as well as a white apron, and long straight brown hair that reached halfway down her back. She smiled when she saw them. "Hi!"

"Hello, I'm Rose!" Rose said. "That's Jack, and..." she looked around. "Have you seen our friend?"

Shouts from the door to the left of them which Maddi had just come out of drew their attention. The door itself was closed but did nothing to quieten the agitated cries coming from behind it.

"_Give me my trousers back!_"

"Never mind, I found him!" Jack chuckled.

Maddi nodded. "Ma sent me to find some clothes for him while she mends his. Excuse me." So saying, she hurried off up the stairs, her hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"She's a good kid, takes after her Ma. Do anythin' fer anyone." Her father told them. He saw Rose's confused expression. "What? You recon my Bertha's gonna let your man wander around with tattered clothes? Not likely! What sort o' hosts would tha' make us?"

Just then, the door burst open and the Doctor ran out, eyes wide and panicked. He wore only a pair of boxers and his pale blue shirt, which was unbuttoned and hanging half off.

"Assault!" he was shouting, pointing back into the room like the Wolf itself was inside. "Assault! Assault! She's assaulting me!"

Kip barred his way, a sympathetic smile on his face. "Now, now, Doctor, is that any way to talk about my wife?" he placed his hands firmly on the Doctor's shoulders and pushed him back to the doorway, Jack and Rose helping him, laughing all the way.

"Assault!" the Doctor yelled again, struggling to escape their combined strength. Rose was slightly shocked at how strong the Time Lord was; it took all three of them to budge him an inch.

"Pipe down, sonny, and Ma'll see to yer gettin' some new shirts!" Kip was still pushing the Time Lord.

"Assault!" was all the Doctor could say in reply. Then a pair of large arms snaked round his middle and lifted him clean off his feet, much to his surprise. "No! No! Assault! Assault! No! Don't let her take me!"

They heard Bertha laughing heartily from behind him. "C'mon sweetie, you don't want to scare the ladies now, do you?" Then she stepped backwards, carrying the kicking Doctor with her as Kip closed the door.

"Folks round here call 'er Big Bertha." He smiled.

As they talked, Kip lead Jack and Rose up the stairs and down a corridor. Pushing the door open, he announced "Here we are!" gesturing for them to go inside.

It was quite a large room; it easily fit the three single beds and still had room for about two more. It occurred to Rose that the house was a little like the TARDIS in one respect; that it was bigger inside than it looked from the outside, as it extended far out the back than could be seen from the front.

The ceiling was only a thin strip of flat plaster in the centre of the room, the side walls were slanted as they must have been in a converted attic or loft. A window was planted at chest height in one of the slanting walls, looking out onto a huge garden, un-kept and wild, with parts that were hidden from view from the house by tall fir trees. A large ivy plant surrounded the window, climbing up from the rear of the building, covering the whole of the back wall. There was a wardrobe and chest of draws up against the rear straight wall, and a bookcase next to the door on the other. All in all, it was cosy, warm, safe and homely.

"I'm sorry, but we ain't got another room fer the missy..." Kip apologised, "All our other rooms are out of order fer a while."

"It's no problem." Rose wasn't too worried. There were three separate beds after all; it wasn't as if she'd have to share with either of them.

"Well, guys, I've got to get going." Josh told them from the doorway. "I've got to get back on patrol."

"Really? Well, thanks for all the help, Josh." Rose was sad to see him go.

"See you, mate." Jack said, shaking hands with him again. "Remember, anytime you need help, or anything to do with those Wolves, you just let us know."

Josh nodded. "Will do!" He turned and started to walk off down the corridor. "Bye, Doctor!" he said as he passed.

The Doctor stumbled in, white as a sheet, clutching a worn leather jacket to his chest with shaking hands as if he would die if he let it go. He was dressed in a simple pair of blue denim jeans and a black t-shirt that fit him remarkably well, though he still had his converses on his feet. He shuffled to the bed nearest the door and collapsed face-first onto it, unintentionally bouncing a few times as he let out a deep breath.

Kip laughed. "I'll leave yer to it. We'll call yer later fer dinner." And he left as Rose claimed the bed in the middle by sitting on it, all the better for seeing out of the window. She turned to look at the Doctor who still hadn't moved.

"You OK?" She asked the back of his head.

He was silent for a while and Rose wondered for a second if he had actually gone into shock or something. Then: "Never... Never... _EVER_... Again..." he sighed, his voice muffled by the duvet.

"C'mon Doc! It wasn't that bad!" Jack joked from his bed by the wardrobe.

The Doctor lifted his head, staring at them with impossibly wide eyes, almost like a spooked animal. "_Assault!_" he whined loudly, then he dropped his head into the duvet again.

They sat and talked about everything that had happened while the Doctor "recovered", and when they were called for dinner later on just before dusk the Doctor sat as far from Big Bertha as possible and chewed his steak, eyeing the large woman warily.

Jack sat back, patting his stomach and puffing out his cheeks. "Great food, Big Bertha!"

"Thank you, dear, it's nice to be able to cook for different people again. It's all well and good cooking for Kip and Maddi, but I make _big_ portions! Got to feed you all up so you'll never want to leave!"

The Doctor had been chewing his steak slowly throughout the course of the meal, but at this he chewed so quickly he almost choked and Jack had to reach over and whack him hard on the back. Maddi had laughed, and from then on giggled whenever the Doctor looked at her or they made eye-contact. When she left to got to bed and the Doctor waved her off, she blushed and ran from the room, as Kip whispered that the Time Lord might have an admirer. The adults sat and talked for a while longer, trying to understand about the Night of Dark Realms and how long the Wolves had been a problem for.

It turned out that ever since the first recorded occurrence of the Night of Dark Realms, the Wolves had run riot, and at one time, as many as two thousand people had vanished, or been found slaughtered when the Sun rose after so many months of darkness.

As the talk progressed, Kip became more and more subdued. "When I think o' what happened t' those poor people..." he shuddered, and Big Bertha patted his arm comfortingly. "If anythin' ever happened t' Maddi or Bertha here..."

Big Bertha spoke up. "Nothin'll happen, dear. Neither of us will let anything bad happen to our little girl, or each other, right?"

Kip nodded, holding his wife's hand lightly. They all jumped at the sound of a loud pounding at the front door. "You expecting' someone?" Jack asked as Kip went to answer it. Big Bertha shook her head, then looked uneasy as sounds of a struggle came from the corridor. Before anyone could investigate, John Albright burs into the room, looking flustered.

"I found ya!" he shouted, pointing at he Doctor, who stood, as if to attempt to pacify the man.

"And why, might I ask, were trying to find me? Or were you looking for all three of us?"

"All three o' ya!"

"Hey! Keep it down!" Big Bertha hushed the intruder, grabbing hold of his arms in a punishing grip. "You'll wake my girl if you're not careful."

"Honey, let the man go. I'm sure he can explain himself given half a chance." Kip re-entered the room, rubbing his arm and glaring at John.

"Damn right I can!" Albright growled as Big Bertha relinquished her grip on him. The Doctor grimaced as he remembered how hard it could be to escape that particular grip. "I cam to see how badly those FLAMES loonies messed with ya. See if I could make ya see sense." He plonked himself down in an empty chair as Kip and the Doctor exchanged looks and sat down too.

Albright listened as Jack recounted what they had already been told, and then he laughed. "Beasts? They're not beasts! They're just as civilised an' proper as you an' me!"

"And how can you know that" Rose asked. She could see what Josh meant; the guy didn't paint himself in a good light, no matter the "good" he was trying to do.

"Call it a feelin'. When ya look tha' big 'un in the eye, ya get this feelin' in ya. It's not an animal, it's _clever_. There's a look in its eyes, like it _knows_ ya, can _see into_ ya."

"Wait a minute! You mean you've _seen_ the thing? You've met it?" Jack was incredulous.

"Why didn't it tear ya t' shreds?" Kip gawked.

"Because they're not simply beasts or animals ruled over by pure, primal instinct." The Doctor said calmly, resting his head on tightly clasped fists. Everyone stared at him, and he stared back, specifically at Rose. "You know, Rose." But Rose didn't know what he was talking about. "Rose, you _remember_." He said pointedly.

Now she did. She remembered the Wolf in 1879 in Scotland, and its intention to migrate to Queen Victoria with a single bite and transform Earth into the Empire of the Wolf. That one was intelligent, even enough to control an entire monastery of monks to protect it until the opportune time and bring it a fresh "host" every ten years. A young body ready to have its soul carved out and its heart stolen. That one, at least, was not simply a beast.

"What d'you mean?" Jack asked briskly, they hadn't got round to filling him in on all their past adventures yet, they were doing it as they went along.

"Nothing..." the Doctor clammed up.

"Well..." Albright stared at the Doctor for a while longer, a small smile on his face. "It seems I've got me work cut out this time!" No-one could tell whether the man was ecstatic or deeply angry.

"As I've already said, they're clever; they're not jus' animals. They're civilised. An' we humans' jus' treat 'em like vermin. We say tha' they need t' be cured? Like they're a disease? Bah! An' now there's tha' lot out there who say they've made a cure! Tha' they can "destroy the demon dogs"! Mind, I've heard rumour..."

"What rumour?" Rose leant in.

"I've heard rumour, tha' the guys with the cure are against FLAMES, an' tha' the whole "destroy the demon dogs" is jus' a front so tha' those hunters' don't get on their backs an' shoot 'em down. I've been told tha' they call it "The Program" and tha' FLAMES jus' leave 'em be, 'cause they think they're on the same side."

"Wait. "The Doctor interrupted. "What do you mean they've made a cure?"

"No-one outside o' The Program knows. I can't get into their compound, I've tried. It's on the far side o' town, if you're interested, you couldn't miss it, even if you tried." Albright pulled a map out of his pocket in a Blue Peter "_Here's one I prepared earlier!_" moment, unfolded it and studied it for a few moments. "Here!" he exclaimed, throwing the paper down on the table and pointing. "Here's us. And this..." he moved his finger to show a huge building a couple of miles away. "That's the compound where The Program's bein' developed. But one thing I do know;" He said quietly, getting back to the Doctor's question. "They're close t' perfectin' whatever it is tha' they've made, close t' makin' it _work_!"

The room was silent.

Big Bertha stood. "Okie dokey, I think that's enough stories for tonight my dears. To bed, all of us! And make sure you get some rest." As Big Bertha got Albright to his feet, Jack snatched up the map and pocketed it before John could claim it back.

"See ya tomorrow!" he smiled, his eyes cold and hard. Then he left.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't keep 'im out..." Kip apologised.

"It's no trouble. If anything he's actually been _helpful_. Never ever tell him I said that though..." the Doctor smiled.

"Oh, while I remember! Doctor, sweetie?" Big Bertha exclaimed. The Doctor looked ready to run again, but the woman simply reached underneath her chair and pulled out a brown paper package tied with string. "Some more clothes for you, and some for your friends as well. I haven't mended yours yet, but these'll have to do in the mean time. "

"Thanks, Bertha..." the Doctor was still wary of the hostess, and waited at a safe distance for her to throw the parcel to him.

"Uh uh! You've got to come and get them!" she smiled. As soon as he was within reach she swept him off his feet into another bone-crushing hug. "Nighty night dears!"

"Yeah... Night..." the Doctor gasped, hearing bones crack. He grasped the packet and ran, bidding Kip goodnight as he passed and vanished upstairs quicker than a greyhound chasing a rabbit. Jack and Rose couldn't escape Big Bertha either. Rose didn't mind, but Jack had to be cornered before he relented. They each bade their goodnight's and departed to their respective rooms.

The Doctor was lying on his back on top of his bed when they entered, and they all agreed to wait until they were sure that their hosts' were asleep, and then go and check the compound for clues. While they waited, Rose and the Doctor filled Jack in on the Wolf in Scotland, its plan, and what it could do. And Rose promised the Doctor that they would see how Ed was first thing in the morning.

However, it wasn't long before Rose had fallen asleep, proving her attempts at keeping her eyes open futile. Jack followed soon after, but the Doctor couldn't sleep. Call it being in a new city with a Werewolf on the prowl, but he was not about to fall asleep and miss any fun that came his way.

He thought to himself that he'd wake them up later, when it was time to leave, but for now, he'd let them sleep. Humans needed to sleep so much to replenish their energy, whereas the Doctor could go an entire week and only need two or three hours to bounce back from whatever they'd faced.

He filled the time now by examining the room they'd been allocated. He liked it. Halfway through licking the door to see if there was anything wrong with it, he stopped dead.

_Something_ made him stop. _Something_ was _wrong_. He looked over to the other side of the room and saw it flooded with moonlight, shining through the window. His Time Lord spider senses were tingling; people were going to get hurt, soon. He quietly opened the door and slipped out.

It was another few minutes before Rose and Jack were woken by the first screams.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked as she flew out of the door.

"I don't-" Jack followed close behind.

"I'm here!" the Doctor called. He was in the hall, almost ready to spring outside. "Kip, keep your family inside!" he yelled to the pyjama-clad man, who nodded, ushering his wife and daughter back upstairs. "Rose, Jack, you help people get away, I'll try to communicate with our furry friend." So saying, he ran out into the throng of screaming people who were running in all directions.

"Doctor, wait!" Rose started, making to run after him, but he had already vanished.

"Rose!" Josh appeared in an army-type jeep, stopping in front of her. "Get in!" he yelled, cocking his gun.

"We have to help people get away." Rose told him.

"We can shout at people on the way past!" he promised, pulling her up into the front seat. After Jack had climbed in the back, Josh sped off, heading toward the screams.

* * *

The Doctor found it where the screams were loudest, charging through the streets, snarling and roaring. He stepped out into its path, with the creature itself still a few meters away.

"Talk to me!" he shouted. "Why are you doing this? What are you looking for? What do you want?" It didn't answer, just kept charging. The Doctor reached for the sonic, but felt no pocket. He mentally kicked himself; he'd left everything in his suit! The one Big Bertha was mending. "... Ah..."

The Wolf leapt clean over him, growling. The Doctor turned just in time to see it turn into an alley on its right, running out of sight. The Doctor ran after it, skidding to a halt in the puddles. As it happened, the alley ended in a brick wall. The wind picked up as the Wolf turned and charged back at him.

"Talk to me!" he yelled again, arms raised to show he meant no harm.

The Wolf sped up, it was only a few feet away, getting faster and closer, running straight at him.

"Talk. To. Me!" he shouted one last time. Then there was a strong gust of wind, a blinding light, an all-consuming pain and he fell to the ground, feeling blood flow and he knew no more as the darkness descended, swallowing him.

* * *

**If anyone's wondering, I got Big Bertha from the game Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. Yes, I like Pokemon. Deal with it.**

**Please review! Make me at least _think_ I'm going well?**


	8. In The Middle Of The Night

**It's been a while, I know. I've been having a really horrible time in my life at the moment, and that's not just an excuse. For example, in the last 2 months, I've had: Friend attempted suicide, same friend almost died (not by her choice), grandmother had a serious stroke, step-father been diagnosed with cancer, dog been diagnosed with cancer and anemia and been given 3-9 months to live, AND one of my neighbours has died... Yeah, good year for me so far, hey?**

**The title of the chapter is the name of my favourite Within Temptation song, go and listen! ;)**

**Anyway, thanks so much to madTARDIStraveller for being the ONLY reviewer for my last chapter, you rock! Have a cookie for your troubles!**

* * *

Josh threw the vehicle as fast as it would go down the street. It seemed that the whole city had been woken by the commotion, and instead of doing the sensible thing and staying in their houses, had decided to billow out onto the streets like sheep being herded to slaughter.

As they flew past throngs of screaming people, Rose and Jack leant as far out of the car as they could, yelling loudly. They alternated between shouts of "Get out of the way!" and "Get back inside!" or something similar to either.

While yelling themselves hoarse, the group kept a watchful eye out. If they could find the Wolf before anyone got hurt, maybe they could do something about it. And if they found the Doctor they could try and help him, no matter what he had told them to do; he couldn't deal with the Wolf all on his own.

"I don't see him!" Jack was the first to voice his fears, leaning as far out of the car as he could and still remain inside whenever Josh hurled them round tight corners. He obviously knew his way around the city.

"Keep looking!" Rose told him over the screams and cries of doom. "He can't have got far!"

It was true; he'd only left the house a few seconds before them, it was physically impossible for him to be too far away.

"Doctor!" Jack called out for the Time Lord, scanning the crowd quickly, looking for the unruly brown hair that signalled the Doctor's location.

"You'd better find him quick!" Josh shouted from behind the wheel, indicating ahead of them. Rose looked just in time to see the Wolf come charging out of a narrow alleyway, snarling and roaring, saliva hanging in long ropes from its deadly jaws, its teeth gleaming white in the moonlight, ready to kill. "Coz I've just found our _other_ friend!"

At this, the Wolf stopped abruptly, standing tall on its hind legs, swinging its head towards them. Its eyes glowed bright orange, like a wildfire was contained in its burning orbs. Gazing at them like it was deciding how to kill them, it threw back its head and howled. The howl was so loud that everyone surrounding the beast had to cover their ears to try to prevent serious damage. Those closest, as it had emerged from the ally, had tried to flee as far as they could, but weren't lucky enough; at least seven people stumbled around, hands over their ears, as blood began to trickle from between their fingers.

The Wolf stopped howling, returning to its four-legged stance, ready to charge, leap or kill. Suddenly, it stopped moving altogether, turning its unwavering gaze on the stumbling, deafened people still trying to flee. It sniffed, then again, growling and licking its lips, starting to move towards the helpless people.

"No!" Rose realised with shock. It was going to kill them! She could have kicked herself it took her so long to realise. "Jack!" she called to the ex-Time Agent, hoping he was having better luck thinking of a plan than she was.

"Hey!" Josh stood up tall, waving his arms in an exaggerated gesture, trying to attract the Wolf's attention. "Hey! Over here! This way you mangy beast! Pick on someone your own size!"

Jack looked at Rose, shrugged in a "What the hell?" kind of way, and joined in, jumping as high as he could. "Come on! This way! We're way tastier than _them_! Leave 'em alone!"

It still wasn't working; the Wolf was getting closer and closer to the mob, focussing on their bleeding ears. Rose made a snap decision. If the Doctor wasn't here to have the great ideas, she'd do it until he came back. Bending down, she grabbed a large stick from the paved ground, pulled back her arm and hurled the stick at the Wolf as hard as she could.

Her aim was true; the stick struck the Wold squarely on the back of its head. It jumped, seeming shocked at the pain. Then it turned, quicker than any of them could actually see. One moment it was facing away from their car, the next it was glaring at them, roaring, teeth glittering, now aimed at them.

"That did it..." Rose mused quietly. "Come on! Come and get us!" she yelled to it, waving her arms.

"No!" Josh looked panic stricken. "We need to hit it! Aim for its-" He broke off as the Wolf roared again. Then it charged, heading straight for them. Jack swore loudly, slipping back into his seat.

"Go, Josh, GO!"

Josh did as he was told, and put his foot down. The car shot forward, weaving slightly as its driver fought for control. He skidded round a tight bend at the end of a road, the wheel spinning in his hands as he sought to keep the beast away from the pedestrians.

A crown had gathered ahead of them. He beeped the horn as fast as he could, waving them out of the road. "Get into your houses!" he yelled as he passed.

Rose looked behind them. She couldn't see the Wolf, it wasn't chasing them. "It's not following us!" she alerted the two men.

"You sure?" Jack's voice sounded strangely high-pitched as he looked over his shoulder.

"Yes it is!" Josh cried out as the Wold suddenly appeared in front of them, dead in the centre of the road, its mouth wide open in a feral snarl, claws out as if to give them a hug worthy of Big Bertha. Josh managed to swerve at the last second and escape down a side road to their left.

"We need to hit it!" Josh said again, struggling to be heard. Aim for its back; the very tip of the spine!"

"What good will that do?" Rose was almost hysterical now, the Wolf was right behind them, practically jumping on the roof, roaring as it went. _It's playing with us!_ She realised. _It could outrun us easily, it's playing a game!_

"At the top of the back, right between the shoulder blades, where the back stops and neck begins; the Wolves are very sensitive to that area. We've found that any pressure on that point, and they're out cold! Any pressure at all, knocks 'em out! The more force behind the blow, the longer they're out for! Hit it hard enough and it could be out for days!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Jack agreed, still watching the Wolf as it strolled, almost leisurely, behind them, still gaining with every bound. Now it was so close that its breath was clouding the glass on the back of the car. "But how do we get behind it? Now that _it's_ chasing _us _there's no way we'll get behind it!"

"Don't worry! I have a plan-" Josh began, a sly smile on his face. Suddenly, the Wolf landed on the bonnet with a crash and the shrill cry of collapsing metal. They cried out at the car swerved violently, out of control. The Wolf stayed on; gripping the roof in its clawed paws and ripping it clean off. It looked over the windshield at them, roaring again, swiping at Jack in the back seat, trying to get at him.

"Get down!" the young FLAMES member shouted, turning sharply right. All the occupants of the car, both on the inside and out were thrown to the left as the car turned, the Wolf keeping its grip with only one paw. Josh wrestled for control of the vehicle as it spun round and round, heading for a rather steep grass cliff that marked the very edge of the city. "Find the Doctor," he yelled "I'll lead it off, get behind it and hit it with everything you can. Tell him what I told you, he'll think of something!" he looked to Rose, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "And if neither Jack, nor that Doctor gets there before me, I'll take you out for a meal after this is all done!"

Rose found herself blushing, despite their current circumstances. "I think I'll like that!" she smiled while gripping the door handle with all her strength.

Then it was all over. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The car was still spinning, still heading straight for the cliff face, Josh looking at her with a burning intensity that Rose would never forget. In a sudden blur of dark brown fur, the Wolf leapt across the front of the vehicle, roaring triumphantly, its gleaming jaws fastening tightly around Josh's neck.

The young man's face froze, the twinkle in his eyes replaced by horror, pain and shock, the smile slipping, turning instead into a grimace. Sounds blurred together, and Rose wasn't sure if it was her screaming, Jack screaming, or Josh himself.

The car balanced on the precipice for a fraction of a second, and then toppled over the edge. The Wolf jumped clear, landing with ferocious grace, framed by the light of the setting Moon, muzzle glistening with fresh blood.

Still screaming, Rose and Jack clung to each other as the car rolled over and over down the grass cliff. Metal screeched as it was pulled apart and pushed together, debris flying everywhere, glass shattering around them and burying itself into their skin. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the car reached the bottom of the incline, smashing straight into a huge tree trunk. The tree held firm and car came to a complete standstill.

But Rose and Jack knew none of this; they were already unconscious.

* * *

**Oooooooh! Cliffhanger! Did Josh die? Are Rose and Jack OK? Will they find the Doctor? Will the insurance pay for the damage to the car? Who knows?**

**Reviewers get bananas! :D**


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